Apparatus for carbonization



July 31, 192s. 1,678,687

C. B. WINZER APPARATUS FOR- CARBONIZATION F, j Filed Dec. 21. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 inw# 1 July 3l. 1928. 1,678,687

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APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZATION Filed D60. 2,1, 1925 4 SheetS-Sheet 5 Inventar;

July 31, 1928.

C. B. WINZER APPARATUS FOR CARBONI ZATION l /////l////////////X// FigedV Dc. 2l, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Mfg/ Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES BURTON WINZER, OF BALI-IAM, LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATU S FOR CARBONIZATION.

Application filed December 21, 1925, Serial No. 76,757, and in Great Britain January 14, 1925.

This invention relates to the carbonization of coal, peat, Wood7 shale and the like and has for its chief object to provide a circular or straight oven in which the proc.- ess of carbonization can be carried out con tinuonsly and in an ellicient and expeditious manner.

According to the present invention the carbonizing chamber comprises a closed fireproot inutile, and the `llames or heatinej gases are caused to travel around the entire eX- torior or" this chamber in a zig-Zag or tortu ous man l"er so that all parts oit the chamber are effectively and properly heated and the proc s... of carbenizing` consists in convey ing 'the material to be treated through the chamber in containers, or in basket-like earriers Which are moved trom the inlet or cold port-ion of the chamber7 by successive steps ot advance to the hottest nrt thereo'li and thereafter pass to a cooler portion `where the carbonized material havinp given up or parted with the volatile and liquid byproducts is moved or transferred to a cooling or collectingchamber. I

ris the carriers are advanced Within this inutile or carbonining chamber, the liquid contents such as oilsv tars are extracted and are directed into collecting channels and can be drawn all by pipes or tubes. The volatile substances they come oli at dltterent temperatures and points Within tl il() chan'ilgier, are drawn ell by fans or other suitable extracting devices and may be conveyed direct to distillingor other apparatus.

The lines through which the llames or heating' :from the furnace or other SOlllCGLOl'FSOUTCQS ll'tii 31'@ Clllltl l() lll'lV'll surrouiid the clsed inutile or carbonizing chamber in such a 'manner that the ascend through one or more tlues, pass through one or more connecting fines at the upper side of the inutile and then descend by one or more i'luos tok the lower sido of the inutile; thereafter ascending and de* sccnding alternately until they are finally discharged to a chimney. These heatingv gases are thus caused to play all around the inutile or carbonizing chamber. Y

Referring to the accompanying draivings l is part sectional plan view of a convenient form ot circulaiapparatus embodying', or constructed in accordance with, the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a` vertical cross-section oit Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional vieu7 drawn to a larger scale than Figs. l and 2 showing the carriers and a convenient method of chargingl them.

Fig. 4 is a. view similar to Fig. 3 showing a convenient method or' discharging` the carriers.

5 is a detail sectional View showing a. convenient arrangement of ball bearings. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the ball-bearing shown in Fig. 5.

7 is a. vertical section of a straight Lioran of apparatus and i 8 is ahorizontal section off the appay s shown in Fig. 7.

The process according to the present intention may be carried out in either a cir cular or in a straight apparatus. ln all cases the material is passed in successive steps or stages through a closed oven or chamber around part of Wl 'ch the heating' gases are caused to pass, the material being; f .nveyed to the hottest part of the oven. tic-n to a cooler part and finally to a disiarging position While the liquid and the volatile contents are extracted at successive stages of advance.

A. circular form of apparatus will first be described.

This apparatus as shown in Figs. l to 5 comprises a closed and continuous fire-proof chamber or oven A within which is mounted a` rotatable platform or table B which is formed of suitably constructed open or .sl-:citen sections or segments of cast iron or other suitable material boltedr or other- 1*isc connected together.

Vlliis irilatlorm is preferably rotated by a. suitable number of driving wheels or pin-- ions l adapted to pgear or mesh With a circular rack or teeth B2 formed on or carried by the rotatable plattform around its inner edge.

rlie plattform B is mounted upon ball or roller bearingsll, B4 arranged to support the platform at its inner and outer circumierences respectively.

The inner bearings B3 are conveniently placed between annular races 'formed respectively on the upper surface ot a rail or bar and the lower surface of the platform.

The outer bearings may be similarly construoted, but preil'erably they are arranged at spaced intervals and each comprises a series of balls mounted in a circular race B (sce Figs. 5 and .6) which is fitted with an inclined or raised surface B7 situated immediately under the platform, so that as the balls travel around the race and come .under the platform they are raised, and only the balls so raised for the time being form the support for the platform B. A cover BS is provided at the opposite side of fthe race B to that at which the balls are raised by the inclined surface B7.

The carriers C may be inthe form yof open cages or baskets when used for producing carbonized material in small pieces, or they may, as shown, be open at top and have an openable lower end. The walls in such cases are solid or closed and they are tapered as shown, so that vcarbonized material may be discharged readily when in a mass or in a larger piece or pieces. These carriers or containers are secured in any appropriate manner to the platform B and are open at top. At their lower ends Vthe carriers are furnished with doors or flaps C which are hinged to one side of the carriers at c and at the other side are furnished with wheels o adapted lto run on suitable tracks until the carriers reach the discharge position. These flaps normally ht into openings in the platform B or in false, lattice or other bottoms fitted to the cages, so that at the discharge position the flaps are opened automatically to allow the contents of the carriers C to drop into a cooling or collecting chamber A2.

The apparatus may be provided with one or more furnaces or heaters. In the embodiment illustrated, two such furnaces D, D', are shown. The heating gases or products of combustion from these furnaces are caused to travel around the entire carbonizing chamber proper or that part of the oven which constitutes the carbonizing chamber (see Figs. 1 and 2).

These heating gases pass through fiues A in a somewhat zig-Zag or tortuous fashion and the flues may be arranged singly or in parallel series. The heating gases from the furnace D pass through a short flue .e at the top of the furnace into a flue a down which they pass. and then through a horizontal flue a2 at the bottom of the carbonizing chamber to an upgoing flue a3 at the other side, whence they pass through another short flue to the next downgoing `flue e4 and so on. The short passages or flues at top and bottom of the oven by or through which the gases pass to the up and down tlues are preferably formed by placing a series of walls a5, a at intervals across the top and bottom of the chamber. Hence, the arrangement, in effect, is such that a plurality of U-shaped or compound iues e1-a2-e2 is provided. the ymiddle portion a2 of each of said ilues being in the bottom wall of the chamber, and the two limbs a1 and a3 thereof being formed vertically in the opposite side walls of said chamber respectively, said -lines being connected in series.

V'hen two furnaces are employed as shown the flues connected with vthe furnace D will alternate around the chamber withthe flues of the furnace D. In place of the gases being conducted through a single flue they may be led by two or more flues or passages arranged parallel with one another. In all cases the flues or passages surround that part of the oven which forms the carboniz ing chamber proper in such a manner `that the gases play or act all around Ithe walls of the carbonizing chamber to heat it equally all round.

The comparatively heavy iron platform B also acts as a heat conducting and radiating surface and increases the circulation of heat around the cages or carriers C lthereby tending to increase the efficiency of the apparatus.

These flues are continued around the carbonizing chamber as far as required and the spent gases and the like finally pass or are discharged up a chimney E.

The charges of raw material are delivered to the cages or carriers C in succession during pauses between stops of advance. These charges are delivered from bunkers or hoppers F arranged above a cold portion of the oven (see Figs. 2 and 3).

The bunkers or hoppers F are fitted with double doors F, F2 arranged at top and bottom so that when the lower doors F2 are opened to charge the carriers the upper doors F are closed so as to prevent any undue amountof cold air entering the oven or muftle.

rllhe doors F through which the hoppers F are charged `are preferably of hinged or flap type, while the lower doors F2 are preferably of rotary or plug-cock type. Between each of the doors F2 and the upper ends of the carriers C to be charged .is arranged a pipe F3 which passes through. the roof of the chamber A. and terminates a short distance above the upper ends of the carriers C.

In the arrangement illustrated provision is made for charging three carriers simultaneously (see Fig.

The cages C after being charged are moved in the direction of the arrow (Fig. l) to the coolest part or end of the carbonizing chamber and thence pass by successive stages or steps to the hottest portion thereof around which the heating gases are circulated. then through a second cool portion and finally reach the discharge point G.

Cn reaching the discharge point the false bottoms of the carriers C are opened. This opening may take place automatically as above described or it may be accomplished mechanically by any suitable means.

The carbonized material falls from the carriers C into the previously mentioned cooling and collecting chamber A2 which is situated below the level of tie oven A, or said material may i'all into a trolley or trucl; H situated in this collecting chamber.

For convenience in removing the carbonized material from this chamber or from the trolley in this chamber, the chamber is furnished with. a door A2' which when closed cuts ott communication between the oven A and the front or outer part oil the collecting chamber A2 so that when a door A4 at the outer end ci: the chan'ib-.r A2 is opened to allow the truck to be withdrawn no undue quantity ot air can enter the oven.

The doors A3 and At are normally closed. The door A3 normally extends transversely across the chamber A2 dividing this chamber into tivo parts each capable of receiving a. truck. Then a truck has been vfilled from the carriers the door A3 is Withdrawn so that the trucl: can be moved -lrom a posi.- tion directly underneath the carrier into the outer portion ot the chamberA2.

This door A0 is operated from a vertical shaft Ar Which is geared to a horizontal shatt A0 which in turn is geared to a rack (not shown) on the door A3. lNheu the door A3 has been opened the truck H can be moved to the outer portion ot' the chamber A2. This is accomplished by a shaft A7 one end ot' which is connected to or bears against the end Wall of the truck H. This r shaft passes through one of the side Walls of the oven and is geared to a vertical shaft A8 which can be turned by a hand Wheel.

Then the truclr has been moved to the outer part of the chamber A2 the door A3 can be closed through the gearing A5, A6 thus cutting off communication between the outer portion ot the chamber A2 and the carbonizing chamber. The outer end of the chamber A2 is normally closed by the door A? which adapted to be raised and lowered, for which purpose it maT be turnished with a coiinter-balance gear in a Well. known manner. lVhcn the door Af* has been raised the loaded. truck H can be Withdrawn.

By those means the carbonized material can be removed as .it accumulates Without interfering with the continuous carbonizing process in the oven or inutile. i

The volatile lay-products or substances ot the carbonizing process as they are evolved or given oli as the carriers advance in the heated part of the chamber A rise to the upper part of the chamber and can be drawn of? by one or more pipes or tubes suoli as I.

The liquid by-pigoducts are allowed to fall to the bottom of the chamber and can be collected and drawn oil' at various points by pipes such as J.

Referring noiv to the straight oven arrangement illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, at

the inlet end of the oven there is situated a charging chamber A10 provided With an outer door A11 through which the lilled carriers C are introduced one at a time. This chamber A10 is situated at a lower level than the carbonizing chamber A and the carrier is pushed on to an elevator K Which can be raised by a sha'l't K to lift the carrier to the door level oi the chamber A. Above this elevator and normally at the floor level oit the chamber A is a cover K2 Which prevents ingress of air to the chamber A when the dooi- A11 of chamber A10 is open. l/Vhen a carrier C has been brought to the floor level of the chamber A it can be pushed into the entrance of the chamber A by a sliding rod or pusher K2 and in being so pushed will force the carrier or carriers in front of it further into the chamber A.

The carriers as they are moved along the chamber A pass from a cool portion to the portion where the temperature is gradually increased. by thel heating gases passing around passages or flues similar to those already described with reference to the crcular arrangement.

The carriers C may be provided with wheels adapted to run along a track throughout the chamber A or they may be pushed into an endless track or platform carried upon or geared to horizontal shafts.

At the exit end of the chamber A there is provided a discharge chamber A2 which is preferably'situated on the same level as the chamber A and is furnished with double doors A3 and A"t and carrier operating mechanism A7 similar to the corresponding chamber of the circular apparatus. The charging chamber A10, in place of being below the level of the chamber A, may be situated at the side of and on the same level as the chamber A and be furnished 'with double doors and carrier moving mechanism similar to those shown and described with reference to the discharge chambers.

Both in the circular and straigl'it forms ot apparatus the carbonizing chamber A is entirely closed and the process is carried out continuously the raw mate-rial being inserted and the vcarbonized material withdrawn Without permitting undue or detrimental quantities of cold air to enter. Also the furnace or heating gases are caused to play all around the exterior Walls ot the carbonizing chamber and by means of the arrangement olf the lines or passages a uniform heat is obtained at the furnace and Where the highest degree of temperature is necessary. At various points temperatures from 8 0 to 5000 C. may be obtained and regulated as necessary for evenly heating and penetrating the material thoroughly and for pre-venting cahing, thereby ensuring that the extraction of the various byproducts will be thorough.

That I claim is l. In a carbonizing` apparatus, a closed, horizontally elongated chamber having a pathway therethrough for material to be carbonized; said chamber being provided with a vHue system comprising a plurality of U-shaped tlues, each of which has its middle portion formed in the bottom AWall of the chamber and its limbs 'formed vertically in the opposite side Walls of' said chamber respectively, said 'lines being connecten in series; and a furnace for supplying hot gases' of combustion to said flue system at one end there-oi so to travel in series therethrough.

2. Carbonizing apparatus, comprising a closed annular chamber having a vertical axis, the licor of said chamber having an aperture therethrough extending across the same; means for heat-ing said chamber; an annular horizontal platform rotatably disposed within said chamber and spaced above the iioor thereof; and a succession of vertically-elongated carriers mounted in said platform to contain material to be carbonized, said carriers projectinbelow the platform and h aving hinged closures at their lower ends provided with supporting,` rollers which are adapted to travel along the Hoor olf the chamber and thereby hold said closures in closed posit-ion and which allow each closure to open automatically when the same. is above said aperture so as to discharge the carb-onized contenta of' the respective carriers.

3. In a carl'ionizing apparatus, a closed, annular chamber having` a patl f v therethrough for materia-l to be carbonized; said chamber having a vertical axis and being provided with al flue system comprising a plurality of U-shaped nues, each ot which has its middle portion formed in the bottom Wall of the chamber and its limbs 'formed vertically in the opposite annular side walls of said chamber respectively, said llues being connected in series; in cmnlzination with a furnace for supplying,- hot es cll combustion to said flue system at one end thereof so as to travel in series th-'sr rough.

In tostin'iony whereof I aiix in] signatin'e.

CHARLES BURTON WIN Zllt. 

